OH - Pike Co - 8 in Rhoden Family Murdered Over Custody Issue - 4 Members Wagner Family Arrested #79

[Pyrite]

But, remember if Defense calls JW out as a liar, it could reinstate the DP. Making him our as a liar is a slippery slope for both sides. How do you determine which parts are truth and which are lies… MOO

If I understand the offer, the DP is on the table for GW4 since he didn’t take a plea deal. Would GW4 care that now Jake might be subject to the DP if he feel’s that Jake is throwing him under the bus?

I would hope the defense was given each version of Jakes story as part of the discovery. Then during cross, the defense asks Jake to explain the differences, thus pointing out where he has told multiple versions of events. Which is the truth and which a lie? Who knows but it would show Jake as a liar, which raises a reasonable doubt on his testimony/proffer. IMO

 

[sunshineray]

Good morning from Pike Co. - Jake Wagner is here in the courthouse and we're expecting him to testify against his brother George in the murder trial here. Do not yet know if he is opting in for video yet - stay tuned.

Here he is coming into the courthouse credit pool photographer Liz Dufour of Cincinnati Enquirer

Just back for lunch break - they are breaking until 12:30. So far, prosecutor Canepa is running through the initial background and we've gotten up to the point when at least Jake and his father decide to kill the Rhodens. He walked through the silencer purchases etc.

Jake testified that it was father's idea initially to kill the Rhodens. He disagreed saying Hanna was the mother of his daughter and that he still loved her. But he expressed concern over possible abuse of Sophia to Hanna, and she said "we'll just have to deal with it”

Jake says that "was the tipping point for me" - he told his father "we have to do it." This was early 2016 and preparations began. His job was to get firearms with silencers and a separate vehicle. No mention of George yet - but he was there when he bought the truck.

Other key points - Jake looked at George several times, but the older brother kept his eyes down most of the time at the defense table. Jake said he destroyed two guns while trying to make silencers out of flashlights - eventually settled on oil filters.

We haven't gotten to the actual day of the killings. Jake appears composed. Early on he is asked if he loved his brother "yes" does his brother love him "yes" and that he wished more than anything that George could go home

Afternoon session from Jake Wagner's testimony against his brother George Wagner IV's in George's murder trial. We've gotten through the events leading up to the murders and then the first murder site of Chris Rhoden Sr. and his cousin Gary Rhoden.

On a 15 minute break. Jake testified that George helped build the fake bottom for the truck bed, and tagged along and was dressed with ski mask gloves and the shoes his mother bought just like he was.

The plan was for Billy Wagner to lure Chris Sr. outside to the grow shed, and shoot him when they walked back. But George froze while carrying the SKS rifle. Billy went inside with Chris and Gary. When Chris came back to door, Jake shot him multiple times with SKS

He got the keys to the grow shed from Chris' body, then went and grabbed surveillance hard drive and put it in truck. Went back inside the house to grab cell phones of victims and saw the bodies had been moved and dragged into the bedroom. Covered them with blanket.

That's as far as we've gotten thus far. The Wagners are about to walk to Frankie Rhoden's trailer. The entire family knew the plan - Angela Wagner was supposed to browse Facebook on Jake's phone left behind at home to make it appear he was still at Petersen Road.

Headed back up for the rest of testimony - remember no phones or anything in courtroom
https://twitter.com/jamespilcher

"On a 15 minute break. Jake testified that George helped build the fake bottom for the truck bed, and tagged along and was dressed with ski mask gloves and the shoes his mother bought just like he was."

B I N G O!! See ya GWIV , wouldn't wanna be ya!

 

[Pru2U]

Not a problem! My apologies if I am coming across as the sole tweeter poster. I am not! lol.

No, you're right. It gets confusing and it's double work. Niner knew I was pulling Courtney's and I knew you were taking afternoon shift - my bad. I should have mentioned it to you so we could tag team. JW's and AW's testimony are going to have a lot of tweets opting out.

 

[Cool Cats]

Courtney Francisco
@CFranciscoWCPO
·
9m
Another break to update you. This courthouse is on lockdown anytime Jake is moved through the hallways. The deputies stopped me as he walked past. Before he got in front of me, I could hear the shackles around his ankles bang against the floor as he walked closer.

He just made it very clear to jurors that George was there when the murders happened. If jurors believe his testimony.

He said he modified the pickup truck he bought from his great uncle to include hiding spots in the bed for him and George. His mom bought the shoes from walmart for him and his brother to wear.

"I told her to buy two tennis shoes... I think I used the world ugly tennis shoes."

He said his mom, himself and George made documents related to child custody. His mom forged hanna's signature.

He and George dyed their hair to match his favorite character from the walking dead.

He said they knew Hanna was pregnant with her second child. So, the plan was to wait until the baby was born.

He and his brother built a false cover on the pickup truck to hide in. Dad took the glock 40, he took the 1911/22, George had an SKS. He and George wose ski mask, gloves and dark clothing and the "ugly shoes" his mom bought.

Quotes from above:

He just made it very clear to jurors that George was there when the murders happened. If jurors believe his testimony.

He said he modified the pickup truck he bought from his great uncle to include hiding spots in the bed for him and George. His mom bought the shoes from walmart for him and his brother to wear.

"I told her to buy two tennis shoes... I think I used the world ugly tennis shoes."

He said his mom, himself and George made documents related to child custody. His mom forged hanna's signature.

He and his brother built a false cover on the pickup truck to hide in. Dad took the glock 40, he took the 1911/22, George had an SKS. He and George wose ski mask, gloves and dark clothing and the "ugly shoes" his mom bought.

************************************************************************************************************

OK, Jake officially implicated George @RAISINISBACK take note.

If the jury unanimously agrees that Jake's testimony is true, I believe George will for sure be convicted of murder.

Everyone let's pay attention to any tweets and articles we can find of how Nash is going to question Jake about this. What can Nash say to Jake and the jury to convince the jury that Jake is lying?

That no, George wasn't at the scenes, didn't wear the shoes, didn't disguise himself, didn't hide in or get involved with the murder truck, didn't take along his SKS gun......etc......(I just read somewhere that George went with Jake to buy the murder truck which adds to George's involvement)

This testimony is so damning for the defense it could be what sends George to prison for life.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I interpreted that to mean suicide by the boyfriend, not Jake. The only family member I understood that was considered to be killed here was Hanna & Jake's daughter, Sophia. JMO

ETA: add link

https://twitter.com/x/status/1584579777692073984

So we know now that Big Billy was afraid of Chris, Sr., Kenneth, and Frankie. Flaming cowards.

 

[twall]

Court showing photos of CRSR. front porch/door and FR steps/back door, now FR window. Must be going over entry points/attempted entry points.

 

[Ann99]

George4 could have opted to stay at home with the kids and let AngelaWagner go on the murderspree. He had a choice. He made a choice.

 

[LMDlong]

Arielilane has it covered for the rest of the day. I am off to bed...

Good night

 

[justtrish]

Many thanks to all who are tracking and posting these tweets -- it's a great service for the rest of us trying to follow this often-interrupted trial.

Also, as I read today's testimony it seems clear that this massacre was driven by the Wagner's ongoing family obsession with child molestation and with the extension of their enmeshed mindset over an extended family of new babies and isolated "spouses."

I really wonder to what extent AW transmuted and stage-managed this psychodrama of corruption and purity into the massacre, in which the Rhodens seem almost to have been proxies for real abusers, underwritten by the custody angle.

It really reminds me of some of the more bizarre "fear of grooming" moral panics we've seen in recent years from fringe groups. And the whole family seems to have ignored their own abusive practices in the process of "saving" others. It's just horrific.

Very telling is Angela never allowed anyone to watch the boys as babies other than the grandmothers.

Then when they boys are still babies themselves they both found girls that were molested as children. (edited to say I could be remembering wrong.. Hannah was not molested or touched? or was she. Maybe I am thinking of Beth and Tabatha.. so forgive me if this is mixed up.. but Hannah was an easy target also)

They were allowed to stay at Angela's house. Perhaps she could groom them and mold them because these girls were young. Most abusers are nice first.. find out how they can get a hold on your then use that to keep you in their grasp. For these girls it wasn't necessarily the boys that did this, it was Angela on their behalf. Sadly seeing the texts between Tabatha and Hannah about trying to win Angela's favor.. they were mean to each other because it was a competition for Angela's love (me paraphrasing). Makes me wonder if this is more why George and Jake fought or had the dynamic they did. I recall Chris saying Jake blamed everything on George.. well I'd say as a child that is fairly common for a younger sibling to get away with some things and the older sibling take the blame or get blamed. Doesn't mean it's okay, but that doesn't mean Jake is the evil murderer blaming George, it just means that is how they learned to cope with their mother.. maybe vying for her approval and love. Anyway back to the girls, they were young and vulnerable, which is the perfect candidate for Angela to use to get grandbabies.

Then Angela used the molesting and poisoning as a way to control and get her way. I bet there was never even a suspicion of it in the mind of her, it was the tool used to get the boys to be on her side. I really think Angela was doing the poisonings if there was any. As far as touching goes, it's not even just her claiming it has happened, they went on this murder spree because it might happen in the future. How did she get the boys so worked up about that possibility that they agree to murder 8 people?

 

[sunshineray]

Arielilane has it covered for the rest of the day. I am off to bed...

Thanks! Have a good night

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I see the problem with this is that even if this is true, George wasn't going to be there that night and last minute decided to go.. that would imply he did know all along this was the plan and what was going to happen. So still implicates him.

He was there. That's game, set, and match for the prosecution.
And I for one don't believe that a guy who jacklights deer and participates in arson and insurance fraud is all of a sudden afraid to do his part in the shooting. Jake may be stupid enough to think that if George didn't shoot or they can't prove he shot anyone, he'll be acquitted.

 

[iulia]

It is very hard to watch the victims' families. I can't imagine what it must be like being there and hearing it.. Heartbreaking.

 

[Nanasteele]

I think G4 seriously lied to his lawyers.

They don't look happy! I think they look concerned!

 

[justtrish]

Quotes from above:

He just made it very clear to jurors that George was there when the murders happened. If jurors believe his testimony.

He said he modified the pickup truck he bought from his great uncle to include hiding spots in the bed for him and George. His mom bought the shoes from walmart for him and his brother to wear.

"I told her to buy two tennis shoes... I think I used the world ugly tennis shoes."

He said his mom, himself and George made documents related to child custody. His mom forged hanna's signature.

He and his brother built a false cover on the pickup truck to hide in. Dad took the glock 40, he took the 1911/22, George had an SKS. He and George wose ski mask, gloves and dark clothing and the "ugly shoes" his mom bought.

************************************************************************************************************

OK, Jake officially implicated George @RAISINISBACK take note.

If the jury unanimously agrees that Jake's testimony is true, I believe George will for sure be convicted of murder.

Everyone let's pay attention to any tweets and articles we can find of how Nash is going to question Jake about this. What can Nash say to Jake and the jury to convince the jury that Jake is lying?

That no, George wasn't at the scenes, didn't wear the shoes, didn't get involved with the murder truck.

This testimony is so damning for the defense.

Espeically because Jake's "deal" was not a sweet deal like Angela's. They didn't really make a deal with the devil here.. I mean they did, but he will never get out of prison and while being put to death is the final step above LWOP, he could have went to trial and still got LWOP so not really getting much for his testimony and if he lies, he still could get the DP.. so it isn't really like he was bribed to say lies so he can get out of prison early or pin it all on his brother to take the fall. Seems everything is actually showing the opposite. He loves his brother, says he didn't shoot anyone, would love for him to be out of prison, wants the DP off the table for him too, is willing to tell the story so not only himself is spared the DP, but his family also. It is not like any other deal I have heard of. Not much of a motivation to lie here.. seems the opposite. Motivation would be to tell the truth to the best he can recall so he isn't sentenced to DP.

I can hear the defense now.. "so Jake you were told you will never get out of prions again you will die there and you said yes I understand that.. an you also requested that the DP be removed from your dad and your brother if you testify truthfully.. yes that's true. So you are here today lying under oath and because of that you could not face the DP and so could George..

umm not making any sense. lol

 

[arielilane]

Journalists haven't posted any tweets for over an hour, though journalists will post more updates later.

 

[SuziQ]

GW is looking very pale. Imo.

 

[ohioexpat63]

The W4 were parnoid of molesters because they were molesters. I think they were justifying the murders over molestation worries, to help lessen the impact of their acts. I think it was 100% about control and custody of SW. JMO

 

[SuziQ]

I was really struck by the description of Jake testifying while chained and shackled and wearing the shirt that said inmate. Just an observation. Imo.

 

[Pru2U]

AC said in her opening statement that JW said in his proffer that BW AND GWIV dragged the bodies to the bedroom...Guess JW is changing his tune about that?

So...what I can see from the tweets, and keeping in mind AC's opening statement is not evidence, It sounds like Jake did not see BW/GW move the bodies with his own eyes, however, Jake knew only BW/GW were on site - so it was assumed (by either or both (AC/JW) that BW/GW moved the bodies. Dead bodies don't move themselves.

I do not think Jake is changing his story but maybe AC took some liberty in her opening statement. Again, the opening statement is NOT evidence. Jake's testimony is.

 

[arielilane]

No, you're right. It gets confusing and it's double work. Niner knew I was pulling Courtney's and I knew you were taking afternoon shift - my bad. I should have mentioned it to you so we could tag team. JW's and AW's testimony are going to have a lot of tweets opting out.

It would be great to tag team! I don't need to be right. lol. Let me know on any given day if you plan to pull a specific journalists' tweets and I will leave those alone. My goal is to get the info out there and more importantly help Niner.